Sunday, February 5, 2017

Former RCMP Staff Sgt. Craig Robert Burnett already faces a number of charges including theft of cocaine, trafficking in cocaine, breach of trust and laundering proceeds of crime. He is alleged to have stolen 10 kilograms of cocaine from an evidence locker at the former RCMP headquarters in north-end Halifax in 2011. On Friday, two new charges were added by Nova Scotia's Serious Incident Response Team.

It is alleged that Burnett took steps that obstructed one of the police officers in his duty and took other steps to encourage an individual to give false information during the investigation.

New details emerged November 28 about the allegations against a former Nova Scotia Mountie accused of stealing 10 kilograms of cocaine from a police exhibit locker. Burnett was suspended with pay after his arrest and then retired after 25 years with the police force.

Crown counsel, in summarizing the case for the judge, said Burnett was a sergeant with the RCMP’s national ports enforcement team in Halifax when he allegedly took the drugs and was in charge of access to seized contraband drugs. Burnett allegedly gave the drugs to 2 accomplices, Scott Rowlings, who then involved Michael Kanasevich. Kanasevich became a police agent who was tasked with wearing a wire.

The preliminary inquiry is set for six days beginning May 8. The case will be back in court in January for election. Burnett remains free on a $10,000 recognizance.

An RCMP staff sergeant in Nova Scotia has been charged with drug trafficking after an investigation into the theft of cocaine from an evidence locker last year.

Craig Robert Burnett is charged with theft of cocaine, trafficking cocaine, breach of trust and laundering proceeds of crime. Burnett is an RCMP officer with the communications centre in Truro.

RCMP received information that alleged a member had stolen 10 kilograms of cocaine from an exhibit locker in 2011. The cocaine had been replaced with another substance and was given to another person, who then sold it and shared the profits.

The drugs reported stolen were scheduled to be destroyed, as they were no longer evidence in a court case. Burnett is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Halifax.

Charges against Nova Scotia Mountie Craig Robert Burnett have been adjourned until late November while the Crown discloses evidence to the defence.